Lucca Stories 2017 | Italy

I first visited Lucca 13 years ago in the middle of winter on a day trip from Siena, it held a fascination for me then and I have wanted to go back ever since. They say ‘you can never go back’ and often that is right, things are never quite how you remember them and you end up disappointed. I am happy to say that this was not the case with Lucca, it held a fascination for me way back then and it still does today.

We were in Lucca at exactly the right time, early May before the summer hoards of tourists descended on the city, there was enough open and going on in the town to make it vibrant and interesting without it being unbearable. There were a lot of tourists around the Chiesa San Michele and on the main drag of Via Fillungo however stay away from that and Lucca was pretty quiet.

Spring had arrived with a bang and the day were in the mid 20’s, perfect for sitting in a Piazza drinking coffee,spritz or wine.

We rented a small apartment in the attic of an old house with views across roof tops to the mountains in the distance. Mostly we ate in the apartment, Italian produce is so good we were able to shop in local deli’s and fruit stores and whip a delicious meals with a few simple ingredients.

Every morning saw us at the corner bar for breakfast of coffee/tea and cornetto con marmalate. Cornetti are a little like a croissant that are a little more ‘bready’ stuffed with jam and every single time I eat one it transports me back to the cafe I had breakfast in when I lived in Venice. Evenings again saw us propped up at a table drinking Spritz Aperol and munching on the snacks that come with the drinks in the evening.

This is one of the things I love about having an evening drink in Italy, there are always snacks. It might be some cut up pizza or tiny cubes of focaccia stuffed with prosciutto and cheese and there are always crisps and peanuts – so civilised.

Our food highlight was the two meals we ate at the restaurant recommended to us by our landlady Baralla. When travelling we try to hunt out restaurants where the locals eat, that serve food that is local, homemade and traditional, Baralla hits the nail on the head. It was true hearty authentic Tuscan foods, not elaborate, not visually designed to look like art but absolutely delicious.

We walked miles on the walls that surround Lucca and aimlessly wandered the alleys and streets of the town, mostly we sat and watched the world go by and enjoyed a little bit of Italian life.